GE camp encourages STEM careers for young girls

GE Girls at RPI curse members and their student mentors pose in front of the giant wind turbine blade outside the GE Global Renewable Energy Headquarters during their visit to the Schenectady campus on August 2, 2012. Photo by Dave Kraus/Courtesy of GE

Alice Menis, left, works on a wind turbine, assisted by GE employee and Edison Engineer program member Whitney Norris. Photo by Kris Qua/Courtesy of GE

SCHENECTADY - Twenty-two middle school girls from Schenectady City School District and their families gathered at GE's Schenectady Campus Thursday evening to celebrate what they learned from the week-long summer camp, GE Girls @ Rensselaer.

This short term camp was designed to spur an interest for students interested in science, technology, engineering and math, otherwise known as STEM and also to initiate mentoring relationships with women in STEM careers.

GE also awarded a $25,000 grant to fund the program in the Capital Region leveraging RPI as the local university partner.

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"We see that young girls are interested in STEM, but when it comes time to make a career choice, STEM fields are not high on their priority list," said Joanne Kugler, Chief Information Officer, GE Power and Water and Executive Champion for the global GE Women's Network. "Many girls express that they don't know a lot about STEM careers and opportunities.

Through programs like this we can help change that. We can expose girls, at a young age, to leaders in these fields in hopes of making a lasting impression."

After being bused daily to RPI where they were able to connect with faculty and GE women, the students were able to showcase their projects to their families along with Schenectady City School District and Rensselaer officials.

The girls had the opportunity to endure in various projects including how to design a wind tower, building a flashlight, learning the chemistry behind lip gloss, making ice cream and taking part in a motorized LEGO car rally.

"It is critically important to excite all young people about STEM, and to nurture and develop their natural curiosity about the world around them," said Cynthia Smith, assistant dean of students and director of pipeline initiatives and partnerships at RPI. "GE Girls @ Rensselaer is an important program for the Capital Region. Not only does it introduce and inspire young girls to have a lifelong love of discovery and innovation, it helps set them on a path to one day study at a world-class university like Rensselaer and secure a job at a technology leader like GE."

All of the girls were nominated for the program by their teachers and principals. GE worked with RPI to develop the curriculum and exercises based on the model that was established at MIT.

"We are extremely grateful to GE and excited for the students who have the opportunity to participate in this camp," said Schenectady City School District Superintendent Larry Spring. "Not only does this inspirational, hands-on program keep students learning, engaged and thinking like a scientist during the summer months, but in many cases leads them to develop greater interest in science and technology. A program like this might even change the course of a student's life; allowing them to see opportunities in Math, Science and Technology that they might not have otherwise realized."